One step at a time
by shaniic
Summary: A series of romantic one-shots between different characters of RWBY with our lovable blonde dork on different levels of romantic relationships. From confessions, weddings, even in until old age.


Jaune paced back and forth the room he stayed in on an airship while he struggled trying to make a decent knot out of his tie, ignoring the sweat that trickled down the side of his cheek, so he won't have to think or _look_ if his pits were obviously wet. Or gods forbid to even smell.

He groaned with a mixture of agony and frustration as his hands were shaking from the multiple failed attempts in trying to look decent.

 _Should not have drank that much coffee. Note to self, never listen to Oscar when asking for ways to calm down._ He thought to himself.

"Ren! How about helping me out here instead of watching me with that smug look of yours?" Jaune complained to his brother who stood leaning by the door frame watching him.

Ren gave a light chuckle before approaching him. "Stand still." He said as he straightened the blonde's shoulder. "I still don't see why you're nervous."

"Ren. They're Blake's parents. How the hell can I not be nervous!? Even Sun was nervous when he first met them!"

"That's because he basically stalked him."

"Yeah, and I'm her boyfriend. Which is higher than stalker on anyone's list, which means I'm in a higher position on her father's shit list." Jaune groaned as the thought came to him. "Oh, gods what if her mother has a shit list too!?"

"Jaune, no one has a shit list." Ren deadpanned.

"But… Dad and I have one." Jaune revealed.

"I should've known better."

"Hey, he's a father to seven daughters and I'm a brother to seven sisters. What'd you expect, man?"

"I expected you to be more mature than your dad."

"The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." Jaune shrugged.

"Don't move too much, I want to see if its straight." Ren took a step back and regarded him top to bottom. "Perfect."

"Thanks man. Do you think I should bring a housewarming gift?"

"Remind me again, what the occasion is tonight?"

Jaune hummed as he recalled. "Today is Blake's birthday."

"And you already got the gift."

"I still think that it's not enough. Like, it's a bit cheap?"

"Jaune, its handcrafted by you. Its not about how much you'll be giving but the emotions you put into it." Ren stopped Jaune from picking up the coat on the couch. "You're going to menagerie, wearing a coat on a tropical place like that will make you look stupid."

"What if her parents say it's not enough?"

"Jaune, what are you so afraid of? It's just meeting her parents, what's wrong with that?"

"Okay, first I've never met them, second I feel like dating a year before telling them about our relationship is too long, third I'm me, and last but not the least I'm just scared they won't approve of me."

"Why? Because you're human?"

"No! Because I always mess something up! I'm not the strongest or the smartest of the bunch, Ren." He sighed. "Isn't it obvious why I'm so scared!?"

"No. Its not." Ren gave him a flat look. "Jaune, you're literally the only one among our group who, I quote, told the brothers Grimm to go fuck themselves and leave remnant since we're better off without them. So, I can't see why you're so scared of her parents."

"Ren, the Brothers Grimm didn't give birth to her, the Brothers Grimm didn't raise her, and most importantly the Brothers Grimm didn't love everything about her as much as her parents." He said with a smug look.

"You're hopeless." Ren facepalmed.

"I rest my case." Jaune then proceeded to look at the mirror that revealed familiar blonde wearing a white dress shirt tucked into his dark brown slacks with a black tie around his neck, handpicked by his girlfriend, and black dress shoes.

"Something's…." Ren trailed off looking at him as he held his chin in a thinking pose.

"Off?" He asked which Ren replied with a nod, confirming his suspicions.

"I'll go get Nora." Ren said as he left for his wife.

"Tell her to bring Rannie! I want to hold my niece!" Jaune shouted.

Jaune walked towards the window of his room watching the stars go by as the shattered moon followed them. All the fighting got them all closer, but it was his own feelings materializing that got him a girlfriend. It was almost like a dream. There were so much who would fit better for her and yet she chose him. Out of everyone in remnant he was the lucky guy. Which is why he never took that chance for granted. He strived to be the best because he knew there was no such thing as perfect. When he was lost, he asked for advice from his sisters, his team, and even his girlfriend's team.

It wasn't always smooth sailing for them. Their own endeavors making them busy to be able to spend proper time with each other, and yet here they are, one year later holding on stronger than ever. It was weird, the two of them had nothing in common, she was moody, she often retracts inside her own shell and makes walls around her when she's confronted with a problem she didn't knew how to solve, she was quiet, and yet Jaune couldn't stop himself from falling head over heels for her.

Of course, it started with a crush, noticing that she was pretty, being able to hear her voice the loudest amongst a busy crowd, easily recognizing her silhouette whenever she wasn't in his sights, the scent of vanilla whenever he got close to her, albeit those moments were accidental ones. And before he knew it, he found himself to be irrevocably, undeniably, in love with her.

But did Jaune do anything about it? No. Or rather he did, but it was just a mere confession in order to get things out of the way, for him to focus more with a war going on in the world he knew it wasn't the best time to reveal things such as that and he knew that.

Which is why he laid bare to her his feelings, the night when they thought they'd be facing the final battle. The last night where they can say farewells and such to everyone they cared for. But for Jaune, he told her his feelings and stopped her from replying. He closed his eyes as he relived the moment

" _Jaune, I-" She started but Jaune put a hand up, indicating her to stop her sentence._

 _He swallowed his saliva; his nerves were frayed but oddly enough he was able to deliver his words with full intent and without a mess. "I want to hear your answer after all of this. I don't mind whatever your reply is but I want something to look forward to once we win." And just like that he left and never looked back._

Years went by before he got the answer. And they started dating, they started a relationship.

And now he's going to meet her parents.

He took a deep breath as he heard the pitter patter of Nora's boots. And without knocking the door slammed open with Nora holding the proof of her and Ren's love. The 3-year old little Rannie, his niece. The pink eyes of Ren, freckles and hair inherited from Nora, with the same bubbly energy and smile obviously from the mother as well.

"Heya Jaune-Jaune! Ren said you needed my help?" Nora asked with glee.

"Unca' Jawn!" Rennie shouted, her hands reaching for him.

Jaune smiled at the family, technically his family ever since his parents adopted the two. Which was weird when they got married, so much laughter came from me and Qrow when we escorted the couple to pass their marriage form.

He approached Nora and gave the mother-daughter duo a tight hug before picking up his niece and raising her up high. "Ran-ran! How is my favorite little Niece?" Rannie laughed as Jaune spun around with her before giving another hug and rubbing his cheeks against her.

"I can count up to ten now!" She said, putting her hands up and showing ten fingers.

"Little ran-ran is so smart!" And he resumed raising her high up.

"Really, Jaune spoils her too much." Ren said with an endearing smile.

"Aw, let her uncle have some fun with her, with how busy Jaune is, it's a miracle that he can even attend Blake's birthday." Nora held her husband's hand. "And besides, we wouldn't get to know Rannie if it wasn't for Jaune's."

"You're right. I guess I can be lenient with this."

"Now then, Jaune. Let's make you cool!" Nora shouted.

"Make unca' cool!" Rannie repeated with glee.

* * *

Jaune walked off the ramp as he waved farewell to Ren and Nora, now on their way to Vacuo for their family vacation. Jaune scoffed as he realized that he's also in vacation and today was the first day of it. He took one last assessment of himself, confirming that his gift was in his pocket, the only difference before leaving the airship was his sleeves were now folded three-fourths up his arm. He nodded and picked up his luggage and walked towards the designated meeting place.

He looked around to see Menagerie and the changes that happened while he was busy with the hunt for the Elder Grimms. The CCT tower stood upon the middle of the island along with multiple buildings and houses as far as the eye can see. But don't get him wrong, the houses had enough spaces for themselves, stores here and there as the windows presented their products, a few malls erected to serve the populace as well as hospitals and such.

But then, how was it that all this was able to fit in such a small island? It was due to the United Kingdoms' Menagerie project. It was a project that focused on expanding the land of Menagerie by creating man-made islands that would hold different structures. Like the malls and hospitals as mentioned before, as well as a few villages and towns. Menagerie was no longer a kingdom that strived with had Kuo Kuana as its only city, but other islands became their own city as well, enough that it is now called the capital of Menagerie.

Menagerie was no longer seen as a colonized kingdom where the 'removed' Faunus-kind are set aside but is now an Island Kingdom with its own proper sovereignty and territory.

He arrived at what looked like to be the city's central square as there was a huge space in the center with an empty stage up front it seems that the festivities are already on their way.

People, faunus and non-fanus alike, and stalls all busily going about their own life as they enjoyed the prosperity that this tropical country now brings. He looked around waiting for the woman of his dreams until he felt a shiver at the back of his neck.

He smiled and turned around to hold the wrist of his girlfriend, who was in the middle of surprising him.

"You know, you should've left a clone somewhere to catch my attention before trying to surprise me." He said with a smug grin.

"It would vanish with this many people around." She said with a calm smile that told how she knew he'd caught her.

He never failed in this, it is predestined that Jaune Arc will always find Blake Beladonna. She wore a black tank top under a white cardigan and back-fitted ripped jeans and black boots that reached her foreleg.

"I missed you." He said as he leaned in only for his lips to meet her fingers.

"We're in public, you idiot." She said with a frown.

But Jaune gave a challenging smile as he wrapped his free hand around her waist and opened his mouth to bite her finger.

Blake blushed, it was one of her weakness whenever Jaune tried to show his more masculine or rather dominating side to him, and it was a weakness he loved to exploit.

"Jaune, not in front of my parents!" Blake hissed.

The blonde felt something broke inside of him. Maybe it's a dam because his face was producing sweat one gallon a second.

He heard coughing behind him, and small chuckles as well. He swallowed as he felt his face turning pale in contrast to Blake's flustered face. He stopped biting Blake's finger and turned around hoping that the one chuckling is the father and the one who coughed was the mother.

Oh, how wrong he was.

Blake's mother stood in front of him, holding her husband's arm, the blonde hoped that it wasn't because the woman was stopping Blake's dad from strangling him.

"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Belladonna. My name is Jaune Arc and I'm dating your daughter." Though he delivered his greetings smoothly he hopes they wouldn't smell his fear.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Kali Belladonna, and this man here is my husband, and Blake's father, Ghira." She smiled and Jaune noticed how her nails dug deeper into the Ghira's arm.

"Yes, a pleasure." Ghira growled through his gritted teeth.

Jaune smiled and gave a nervous laugh as he felt Blake facepalming behind him.

/-/

Dinner was interesting to say the least, it was a birthday dinner with just the family and Jaune. Blake's team couldn't come because they were also busy, but they agreed to celebrate the birthday next week, a girl's night out to say the least. Everything was normal, they enjoyed eating, they enjoyed the cake, Kali seemed to love the stories he had about Blake, Kali established a first name basis with him, Jaune attempted getting the good side of Blake's dad, although no attempt ever succeeded. He also kept minimal contact with Blake upon entering their home since he didn't want to make a bad impression on them. Which Jaune was half-sure he blew with the flirting he did with Blake earlier. Blake and Khali were cleaning up, Jaune tried to help as well but was dismissed. Yes, everything _was_ going a bit well.

So, this begs the question.

Why was he alone,

With Ghira,

At the Balcony

Holding a glass of alcohol with him?

 _He's like royalty with being the chieftain here. Oh gods is he gonna have me killed!? Worst, is he going to tell me he won't give his daughter to me? Oh hell, maybe he does have a shit list!_ Jaune's thoughts raced on and on until the man beside him took his attention by speaking first.

"I want to let you know."

 _Here it comes._

"I have no intentions of giving my daughter to someone like you."

Jaune's heart sped up as he tried to think of a reply. He was stammering for words as he felt his knees shaking.

Ghira looked at him before giving a light chuckle. "I'm only joking. I just wanted to say that line, even once."

"O-oh. I see." Jaune trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"I had a shit list, you know?" Ghira started with a sigh

Jaune swallowed. "I-I see." He replied nervously.

"That young lad, Sun is there. Atop the list was Adam."

 _Emphasis on was_ Jaune thought to himself as he took a sip. The man died for his atrocities. His heart too deep in vengeance and wrath, swayed to the lust of power that Salem promised, the sweet fruit of human genocide was almost in his reach, so we had no choice but to end him.

Jaune made a pained expression. Adam's rage was not unreasonable. The things that humans did were too much. And he understood it too well because once, he also felt so much anger at the White Fang for supporting the people who killed his partner.

But he chose a different path. It was upon Adam's fall upon his blade that made it clear how human Faunus are as well. In his last moments the man bent on vengeance and destruction, showed regret and clear sadness in his eyes.

"So, you're _still_ affected by his death?"

He emptied his glass. "Adam will always be in the back of my mind. He's the man I could've been if your daughter weren't there."

"I heard of it. How you were almost swayed to the… racial cleansing of Mantle."

Jaune swallowed his saliva. "Yes." He admitted.

"I was lost. Every time I got into a fight, I had I thought to my self this would be my last fight. If I die then I deserve it for letting my partner down, for being weak. If I lived, then that means I'm still cursed to fight and kill. I told my self its to avoid tragedies befall others but in truth I just wanted to lash out at someone, and maybe for someone to end my life as well." He stared at his shaking hand.

"Your daughter, Blake. She became my crutch, my support during the times I was weak. Maybe she saw me becoming another Adam which is why she helped me, but I don't care. I owe so much to Blake and more but don't get me wrong." He took a deep breath.

"Ghira, I love your daughter because she is dear to me. I discovered so many things about her and about my self when I got close to her. I am alive because of her. Blake means the world to me and more. For the past hours I've been trying to get into your good side because I wanted your approval, because I don't want a life where Blake has to make a choice between her family and another."

He clenched his fist as he stared at Ghira in the eye. "But you can never stop me from loving her. Even if you don't approve, I'll make you approve. I'll even serenade you if I have to."

Ghira looked at him, the man had fierce determination in his eyes, it was a fire that he hasn't seen before, so few could ever say such words if they are prepared for whatever lays next. And he smiled at that.

He liked the boy- nay, he was a man as much as he is. Funny how he never got that ballsy when he was courting his wife.

"I told you I _had_ a shit list." Ghira laughed. "Jaune, I've approved of you the moment Blake told us about you. You make her smile in a way that no man could ever do."

"D-do you really mean it?" Jaune asked with a smile slowly forming on his face, if he were a faunus he'd surely be a dog wagging his tail right about now.

Ghira gave a cool grin as he was about to say something Blake cut him off as she entered the Balcony.

"Dad would never share his favorite alcohol with just anyone." She said as she gave Ghira a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Will you be taking him there?" Ghira asked.

"Its my favorite spot." She gave him a small smile.

"Fine, I'll tell our pyrotechnician to delay it for a while."

"Thank you."

Jaune merely looked back and forth, unable to understand the conversation properly as he was still too busy being shocked about Ghira's approval as well as the strong sake that he had. He forgot to never drink alcohol in one go. To which he did, and in his defense, he wanted to have the guts to tell him what he needed to say.

* * *

Jaune had his fingers intertwined with Blake's as they walked up what seems to be an uphill path, but to where, he doesn't know. They were silent as they left her house, but he doesn't mind. In fact, he always savored these moments. Walking, eating, or maybe even just reading a book with her, the silence was there but the heat was present. He'd take in the view, seeing her golden eyes go through the words, how her face would fluster upon a certain paragraph, or that little smile she'd hide when she was enjoying something.

Like how she was hiding her smile now from him as she walked in front of him. She does that a lot that it become a habit, a charming habit that he gets to see every time they're together.

Blake looked back at him and raised an eyebrow before smirking at him. "You're smiling. Why?"

"Hm? Nothing really, just curious as to where we're going." He grinned. "Or maybe I'm just really happy I get to hold your hand?"

"We've been dating a year already and you're still saying that?"

"That doesn't mean I'd ever get tired of it. I think my excitement knowing that I get to be with you intensifies every day."

"You're a sappy Casanova Jaune Arc."

"It works didn't it?"

She just rolled her eyes in reply as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Didn't hear you say no to that."

And her silence just confirmed the answer.

They passed through various trees and foliage to arrive at a cliffside that overlooked the city. Look up and you'd see the stars, look down and you'd see the ocean.

"This is my secret place." Blake started as she sat by the edge of the cliff. "I'd close my eyes and listen to the calm waves whenever things got hard for me."

"When you were still a member of the Fang?" Jaune asked as he sat beside her.

She shook her head. "When dad stepped down the arguments became a lot harder between us and caused a rift with my relationship with them."

"You guys seem alright now though."

"We patched things up before going to Mistral."

"Ah, I see." Jaune nodded in understanding at the implication of when that happened.

She rested her head on his shoulder and Jaune wrapped an arm around her.

"I heard everything, you know. When you talked with my dad."

Jaune felt his cheeks heat up. "Yeah? And?"

"Were you serious when you said that?"

Jaune chuckled. "I'll serenade your dad right now if you want to. Just give me time to grab a guitar."

She lightly hit his arm. "Dork. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do." He held her arm tighter as he planted a kiss atop his head. "I'll keep saying it until you're tired of it, I love you, Blake Belladonna. And I that will never change. And I'll keep telling you that every single day if you want me to."

Blake smiled and buried her face into his neck. "You're a sappy Casanova."

"Hey, you let me borrow those books, so its your fault I'm like this."

"I don't think I dislike this Jaune though." She crooned.

Jaune caught his favorite scent of Vanilla on her, breathing it in as if it was badly needed oxygen.

"Did you know, when you confessed to me, I initially thought of turning you down?"

"What made you do the opposite?"

"it was when you made a plea for all White Fang members to be pardoned and Menagerie become an actual Kingdom to the United Kingdom of Remnant." She looked up at him, her amber eyes meeting his blue ones.

"When you said that everyone deserves another chance, when they also deserve another shot at life. That their choices were misguided by the hands of the very people who once sat atop the council seats." Blake smiled at him, her genuine smile that she only shared with her team, with her family, and now with him. "So, I decided to give you a chance. I thought about it, that maybe your feelings are misguided as well and if we don't work out then that's all there was."

"So you liked me after the United Kingdoms' peace summit?"

She smirked, her proud, shit-eating smirk that he came to adore. "At first I tolerated you, then got to know you, and now…" She trailed off.

"And now?" He asked.

"And now I've come to love you." Her face, slightly tinged in red as she looked up at him who was left dumbfounded, unable to say anything.

Its been a year since they've started dating.

Its been a year since Jaune started telling her how much he loves her.

And after that year, it was the first time she uttered the same words to him.

He just stared at her, taking in the moment, making sure he'd never forget this day.

"You're doing it again, staring when you don't know what to do."

"Honestly, I-I don't know what to say, I don't know what to do, I'm just so, so happy." He gave her a smile.

"Just kiss me, you dork." Blake said as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

Their faces came closer, and when their lips met Jaune ignored the fireworks that came as he tasted Blake's lips on his, the butterflies in his stomach was stronger than the sounds that popped into the sky.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap for this one-shot series. The plan is that every chapter will contain a different scenario with a different girl. The thing about this is that it would go from meeting the parents reaching up to the proposal, wedding, reminiscing on first dates, even old age with a family. But who gets what scenarios are different as every chapter would end up with Jaune with a different girl.**

 **Of course, an omake would come as well with my fave Renora ship.**

 **And maybe, just maybe, I can include Pyrrha in the future. :D**

 **As always, follow, favorite, if its worth it, and then criticize via review if there's anything that grinds yer gears. As always this is Shaniic Signing out, love and peace ya'll!**


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